By Mr. John Lindley. 



311 



calyx, calyx into petals, petals into stamens, and stamens into 

 ovaries; and that the reverse of that order could not take 

 place. Alterations indeed of another kind may happen, such 

 as changes in the appearance of stamens, occasioned by abor- 

 tion ; but such metamorphoses are to be considered imperfect 

 attempts on the part of particular organs to revert to their 

 primitive forms, and are analogous to the alterations of the 

 ovarium, which I shall have presently occasion to notice, but 

 they do not affect the present question, which concerns only 

 the law of transformation of one organ into another organ. 



I am not ignorant that the common belief upon this subject 

 may be against the opinion I venture to entertain ; I am aware 

 that the usual explanation of the cause of the monstrous 

 multiplication of the parts of a flower is the conversion of 

 stamens into petals, and that, as I have already stated, a 

 Botanist of high consideration has recently expressed his 

 opinion, that such changes take .place backwards, or in an in- 

 verse order to that of first developement. But, if the com- 

 mon explanation were admitted with respect to these altera- 

 tions, it would not be easy to shew the cause of the greater 

 beauty of double than of single flowers, because the inevitable 

 consequence of a reversed order of transformation would be, 

 that the rich or delicate colour of the petals, upon which all 

 flowers depend for their beauty, would be converted into the 

 uniform green of the calyx. Such a change, therefore, instead 

 of producing a flower more beautiful than its original, would 

 tend to destroy its beauty. 



But if the true order of alteration be such as T have de- 

 scribed, if it takes place upwards, or, speaking more plainly, 



